Mixing apparatus



June 6, 1939. c. T. MCFARLAND MIXING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 26, 1937 INVENTOR C/Iar/e M9 r/and ATTORNEY Filed Nov. 26, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Char/ 5 M fr/md ATTORNEY June 6, 1939. c. T. McFARLAND MIXING APPARATUS 3 Shets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 26, 1957 INVENTOR Char/e5 ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1939 UNi'lED STATES PATENT OFFICE Mamas-immune,

to Innielpal Saviee Company. Kansas eflisaolu'l a can (a. ass-n0) This invention relates to a mixingapparatus, particularly for coagulating and diifusing a chemical within a liquid substance, such as raw water, sewage or the like. and has for its principal object to provide a simple apparatus of this character with a mixer oragitator which eflectively diii'uses the chemical in the liquid.

Otherimportant objects of the invention are to provide the mixer with paddles that may be 0 setatvariousanglesofattacksoastocontrol the amount of agitation; to provide for adjustment of individual paddles so that certain paddles may be set at difl'erent angles to effect greaterorless agitationinvariouspartsofthe is vessel containing the liquid under treatment; and to provide a construction wherein the'paddles may-be readily applied or're noved to conform with the requirements of the treating system.

It is also an important object of the invention tcprovideamixerwhereinthepaddlesmaybe selectively located tangentially and/or radially relatively to their supporting frame or helix.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. wherein:

Fig. 1 is aperspective'viewof a mixer constructed in accordance with the present invenisa sectionon the lineO-l ofl'ig. 5;. isasectionontheline'l-flofl'imo. particularly illustratingtheadjustable anchorage onthehelixofthemixer. l 'ig.8isadetailperspectiveviewofoneofthe when attached to the helix to support Referringmoreindetailtothedrawings:

a mixing apparatus such as is tion and showing every other paddle arranged taching "d v ces.

.fromcorrespondingtothespacing Each mixer includes .a central shaft l preferably formed of tubing andhaving its ends provided with gudgeons I formed of sections of rod that are sleeved within the open ends of the tube and have spaced rings I and I weldedthereto and to s the tubing as shown in Fig. 2. The ends oi the rods project a suflicient distance to be rotatably mounted in bearings l and I that 'arevlocated within the tank to rotatably support the shaft. Fixed to one of the gudgeons, at a point adjacent 10 the end of the tube, is a sprocket or other suitable driving connection II that isdriven by a chain belt II from a prime mover (not. shown).

Extending about the axis of the shaft, in spaced parallel relation therewith, is a helix i2, preferl6 ably formed, of a structural member which is shown in the drawing as being of angle crosssection to provide peripheral and radial flanges l3 and II respectively: The helix 'thusdescribed substantially corresponds in'length' to the tube 4 n and is supported in concentric relation thereon by means of rod-like arms or spokes ll having their inner ends welded to the periphery oi the. tube and their opposite endsfto the inner surface oftheperipheralflange liiasshowninl'lg. l, u there being a suflicient number of spokes to support the helix iu-rigidrelation with the shaft.

Formed in the flanges of the helix, at spaced points along the length thereof, are pairs of openings lt-ll and llil for removably at-"go brackets 20 for anchoring paddles 2!. line brackets ll are best illustrated in Mad to-8 inclusive, and each includes a substantially angle-shaped member 22 having an" approximately semicircular base portion 23 and a paddle 3 attaching arm it, the arm 24 being braced relatively to the spaced webs It and It preferably formed as integral parts of the bracket as-shown in Fig. 8.

Formed in the axis of the base portions II are m openings 2! adapted to register with one of the openings of the helix flanges to pass fastening such as bolts 28. having heads 20 enportions of the brackets andshanks 8| extending through the openings to 5 mount nuts ti engaginl the innerlfaces ofthe flanges to clamp the brackets thereagainst.

Ibrmedinthebaseportionsfl, concentric with the openings I'I-andspaced rearwardly thereofopcningaarearcuateslotsfl forpassing fastening devices 88; having heads is engagingthe-base portions of the brackets and threaded v II extending through the arcuate slots flandthroughtheotheropeningot thepairsls of thepairs u of openings in the helix flange to mount nuts 38 for ciampingly anchoring the brackets in selectively adjusted position on the helix, a washer 31 preferably being inserted under the heads 34, and lock washers 38 and 38 under the nuts 8| and 36, as shown in Fig. 7.

The paddles 2| may be of various shapes and dimensions but are here shown as being elongated and rectangular, and they are preferably formed of wood of thickness to provide the desired rigidity. The paddles are secured to the at taching arms 24 at approximately midway their ends by suitable fastening devices, such as bolts 40, so that they are rigidly secured against movement relatively to the brackets. In mounting the paddles on the helix they may all be attached to the peripheral flange I! or to the radial flange it simply by extending the bolts 28 and 33 through the proper openings of the respective flanges, or certain of the paddles may be arranged tangentially while others of the paddles may be arranged radially, as shown in Fig. 1, the relative arrangement of the paddles, as well as their spacing and number, being calculated to conform with the conditions of the treating system with which the agitating mechanism is associated.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the paddles may be adjusted for different angles of attack by loosening the nuts 3i and 36 of the bolts 28 and 32 so that the brackets may be moved about the axis of the bolts 28 until the paddles are at the desired angle, after which the nuts are retightened to again clamp the brackets to the helix. The paddles are thus supported so that any desired angle of attack may be effected both when the paddles are arranged tangentially or radially of the helix, and certain of the paddles may be set at greater or less angles of attack than the others to give the desired agitation in various portions of the tank 2.

When the mixer, assembled as described, is operated by the chain l i the paddles gyrate about the axis of the shaft and cause the chemical and liquid substances being treated to be thoroughly agitated so that currents are set up in the direction of the attack angle of the paddles. By adjusting the position of the paddles to various angles of attack, various counter and cross currents may be set up in the liquid to assure thorough coagulation or diffusion of a chemical or other treating medium in the liquid solution.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mixer including a paddle supporting member in the form of a helix and having flanges arranged in circumferential and radial directions with respect to the axis of said helix, a plurality of elongated paddles, brackets flxed to the intermediate portions of the paddles, and means securing said brackets to selected flanges whereby some of the paddles are positioned tangentially and others radially with respect to the helix.

2. A mixer including a shaft, a paddle supporting member in the form of a helix and having flanges arranged in circumferential and radial directions relatively to the shaft, spokes connecting said member with the shaft, a plurality of elongated paddles, brackets flxe'd to the intermediate portions of the paddles, and means selectively securing said brackets to the respective flanges whereby some of the paddles are .positioned tangentially and others radially with respect to the helix.

3. A mixer including a paddle supporting member in the form of a helix and having a flange arranged circumferentially relative to the axis of said helix, there being spaced pairs of apertures in said flange, a plurality of paddles, angle-shaped brackets each having an arm fixed to a respective paddle and an attaching flange extending at substantially right angles to the arm, said attaching flange having an aperture and a concentric arcuate slot adapted to align with the respective pairs of apertures, and fastening devices extending through said apertures and slots, said fastening devices being positioned in the arcuate slots for adjustably changing attack angle of the paddles.

4. A mixer including a paddle supporting member in the form of a helix and having spaced pairs of apertures, a plurality of paddles, angleshaped brackets each having an arm flxed to a respective paddle and an attaching flange extending at an angle to the arm, said attaching flange having an aperture and a concentric arcuate slot adapted to align with the respective pairs of apertures, and fastening devices extending through said apertures and slots, said fastening devices being positioned in the arcuate slots for adjustably changing attack angles of the paddles.

5. A mixer including a paddle supporting member in the form of a helix and having flanges arranged in circumferential and radial directions with respect to the axis of said helix, said flanges having spaced pairs of apertures, a plurality of paddles, angle-shaped brackets each having an arm fixed to a respective paddle and having an attaching flange extending at substantially right angles to the arm, said attaching flange having an aperture and a concentric arcuate slot adapted to align with the apertures of the respective pairs, and fastening devices extending through said apertures and arcuate slots whereby some of the paddles are positioned tangentially and others radially at predetermined angles of attack, said fastening devices being positioned in the arcuate slots for adjustably changing said angles of attack.

6. A mixer including a paddle supporting member in the form of a helix, means mounting the member for rotation about the axis of said sup porting member, a plurality of elongated paddles, means securing the intermediate portions of selected paddles to the supporting member with said paddles positioned with their longer dimensions extending in the longitudinal direction of said axis, and means securing the other of said paddles to the supporting member with their longer dimension extending in directions radially to said axis.

CHARLES T. MCFARLAND. 

